Never Let Go
by PrettyOddMoon
Summary: Sherry struggles with her feelings for Jake. Little did she know that he is at war with his own feelings too. Sherry's past life left more than just scars. A JakexSherry fic. Reviews are welcomed. All rights go to Capcom. I do not own Resident Evil although I wish I do.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

All she can remember was escaping the underwater facility with Jake's arms around her and her fingers interlaced with his. Everything, even the daylight hitting her eyes after hours of being in the dimly lit place did not have any effects on her. What she felt was pure numbness. To think, after being through all those hellish experiences, she would have felt a bit better. But Sherry Birkin can't help but feel that there are more horrifying things going her way. And the worst was yet to come.

Now that she's wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of hot coffee in her hands, she felt a bit better. Maybe the emptiness she felt is gone for good now. Maybe it was only the after-shock of the whole incident. Her body trembled a bit in the cold and her whole body is sore. The adrenaline that pumped through her veins during the very close call with Ustanak is completely diminished. The helicopter she is riding in shook with occasional turbulence in the wind and it makes her head hurt. More than anything, she just wants to go home.

As soon as the heli landed, Jake was ushered into a rather large compartment in the belly of the vehicle. Sherry caught a brief glimpse of the room and it looked like some sort of a mini-lab. Even though Jake was practically just on the other side of the wall, Sherry felt a stab of loneliness when the strong and calloused hands of the guy she met not a week before was wrenched out of her own. She was worried sick of what they might do to him but was calmed down by Jill Valentine. Now, all she can do is wait.

As soon as the lab door opens with a creak, Sherry whips her head towards it and let out a relieved sigh as Jake walks out with a stretch. Jake didn't even have time to voice his complaints to whoever who would listen as he was pulled into a strong embrace.

"Hey super girl, if I know you would miss me like this I would've stayed inside longer" he teases.

"Uh sorry. I umm... What did they do to you?" realising she has been holding onto Jake a little longer than should, she let go.

"Just some blood samples. I think they took a bucketful of my blood." He complains

"Oh don't be such a baby. They only need a few syringe of your blood to create an anti-virus you know." She rolls her eyes at Jake and his exaggerating skills.

Seeing the worry disappears from her eyes, Jake smiles. He can't stand seeing her upset. And he certainly doesn't want to be the cause of it. He moves to sit across Jill who has been strangely quite throughout the little reunion scene.

"So, what do we do now? Where are we going exactly?" he looks at Jill inquiringly.

"Now, we wait. This ride is taking us directly to Samoa. You both are given 3 days to rest before we set out to America.

Jake opens his mouth to ask something again but was cut off by Jill in an instant.  
"Yes Jake, you are coming to America with us. The government can't risk losing you, not with isolated outbreak cases going on everywhere-"another inquiring look by Jake, she ignores him and she continues "Leon told me everything. He was the one who suggested that you should be under the protection of the US government."

Sherry who has been patiently listening suddenly speaks up.

"But they already have what they want. His genome, DNA, and even his physical attributes data. What exactly are they playing at?" she blurts out.

"I don't know. But obviously it is of national and perhaps global security. Look, I'm sorry. To both of you. But I know nothing else." Jill makes an apologetic face

"How come you're here anyway?" she voices out the question that she has been holding in ever since she walked into the helicopter and found Jill casually sitting on a chair with her legs crossed.

"I was sent to somewhere near the underwater facility you were at to do a thorough scout of the present situation. Nothing exciting. You guys should get some rest, it's going to be a rather long ride" she winks at them and disappears behind one of the opened doors.

"I have a feeling she's hiding something from us" Jake voices out, his eyes still lingering on the spot where Jill disappeared at. Sherry looks at him with a surprised yet curious look. "But I'm just too tired to think about it just yet. Better catch some beauty sleep. Not that I need one" he continues with the cocky grin he always wear.

Sherry lets out a giggle and playfully punches his forearm. "Jake Muller, you're such a tool!" she replies jokingly.

*Okay, this is my very first fic. As you guys can already guess I'm a big RE fan and I love SherryxJake. Helpful reviews are welcomed. If this story gets a good reaction, I shall continue writing. Lots of love, PrettyOddMoon :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

-Samoa-

Sherry awakes with a start. Cold sweat is beading down her neck and forehead. **_What's wrong with me?_** She thought to herself. After the Raccoon City incident she has been having nightmares every night. After a few years it seemed to have ended. But now after witnessing and living the horrors of an outbreak again, those terrifying nightmares came back. She sits on her bed, hands in her face, and she was trembling like crazy. A person looking at her might have mistaken her for another one of those zombies, what with her bed-hair and the sudden jerks of her body due to her crying. There was a soft knock on her door and a muffled voice of a man asking for permission to enter her room.

Sherry nods in confirmation. After a minute of silence, she realizes how stupid she was. "Come in" she replies softly. This young woman never locks her door because she's afraid she would be trap in the room with a bunch of infected. The fear of being closed in never actually left her.

Jake frowns as the door creaks open with ease. "You know, you really should lock the door next time. It isn't safe."

"Hey what's wrong? I heard you screaming and trashing on your bed. I'm right next door you know? Are you okay?" Jake asks with a soft voice. Seeing her in her most fragile state, he feels useless. He needs to do something to make it better. He needs to do something to fight away her fears and whatever it is that has been bothering her.

Sherry looks up from her hands and focuses her blue eyes that were glistening with raw tears on Jake. Her sobs only became louder and clearer at the sight of him standing there. She lets everything out. The pain. The longing. And the frustration at herself for being so weak in front of him. She manages to let out a whisper, "Nightmares".

Jake sits at the corner of the bed and takes her hands in his. Wrapping her delicate fingers around his rough and strong ones. "Hey it's okay. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here. If any of those monsters come, I'll kick their asses and I'll protect you from them. After all I'm the all gorgeous and strong hero right? It won't be a problem." Jake attempts to lighten up her mood.

Sherry lets out a small laugh and wipes at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a bother. Oh god, I'm such a baby!"

"Nah, it's alright. Don't tell anybody but I get nightmares sometimes too. It's normal. Nothing to hate yourself for. You may have super-healing powers, but you're still completely human." He smiles.

And under the dim lights of the hotel room's table lamp, Sherry caught her breath. That smile. It's the most sincere smile he has ever given to her. And it was breathtakingly beautiful. His whole face is beautiful. It's not even marred by the long vertical scar on his left cheek. She snaps back to reality when she realises that he has been silent for a while now. Her cheeks flushing with every second past.

And Jake? The reason he's silent? He was awed by her beauty. Her lips were pink. Her eyes heavy lidded and her perfectly sculpted jaw was incredibly breathtaking. He has never seen anyone so perfect even after just waking up from a bad dream. Her blue eyes seem to burn into him every time he lays his eyes on them. He jerks his head up from her lips as Sherry shifts a little on her bed due to the sudden silence.

"I um.. I should go now. Sorry for the um...Yeah." Jake stutters.

"No please..I.. I know I'm being selfish but please..stay."

Jake was wide eyed. She's asking him to stay? Does she trust him that much?

Letting out a sigh he mumbles something she didn't quite catch. He drags a couch next to her bed and sits down on it. Sherry is already fumbling around the room for an extra blanket for Jake. After finding one, she wraps it around Jake who has finally settled down and lying on his back on the couch. She snuggles back into her blanket and lets out a deep sigh. **_What the hell did I just do? _**Sherry mentally slaps herself. **_I am so going to regret this._** But oddly enough, she finds herself not caring. It's their last day here as they would be taking the plane to America tomorrow. Probably even their last day seeing each other.

Thinking that he's already fast asleep, she takes his right hand in both of her own and brings it to her cheeks. Without her even noticing it, she slips into slumber land. Succumbing to the heat radiating from Jake and his breathing next to her own. And it's the first time in days; she slept without the nightmares waking her up in the middle of the night.

Lying awake, Jake felt his chest flutters as Sherry's hands touch his. Did she think he was asleep and that he would not notice what she did? Jake let out a small laugh. She is never hearing the last of this.

He can't help but think about their current situation though. **_What is going on? What's happening between us? _**She was just someone he just met a week before and yet he feels like he had known her forever. **_Shut the hell up brain. _**He pushes what he was feeling aside and lies to himself that it was just his brain being a total douche bag. Despite the war in his head, he holds onto Sherry's hands a little firmer. This might be the very last time they can be together like this and he is not willing to let go just yet. He lets himself to drift into sleep with Sherry's steady breathing as his lullaby and her hands as an anchor for him to never let her slip away.

*Author's note: Well that's chapter 2. First of all, I don't even know if Samoa really existed. I just made it up. Hopefully. And second, chapter 3 will be up soon. Keep reading and reviews are so welcomed. Love, PrettyOddMoon :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A weak stream of light creeps into the hotel room and hits a pair of closed eyes. Jake groans, half awake and half asleep. He opens an eye and scans the room. **_Weird._** The room looks the same but he is sure as hell that this is not his hotel room.

And then it hits him like a thousand waves of images floating through his head. He is in Sherry's room. She asked him to sleep with her. Ummm, keep her company. He is lying on a couch next to her bed. Jake turns his head towards a silhouette of a body. The rise and fall of her chest due to her breathing clearly visible even in the dim lighting. Rising up from his make shift bed, Jake lets out a stifled yawn and arcs his body backwards as an attempt to stretch out his sore body.

Jake doesn't want to wake Sherry up, not when she looks so peaceful in her sleep. Planting a light kiss on her forehead, Jake turns around and leaves the room. He's not very keen to leave but he didn't want the government officers to be shocked out of their wits seeing Jake and Sherry getting out of the same room. **_Yeah, that would be the freaking big news of the day. _**Jake returns to his room only to pack up a couple of his belongings which includes; 3 sets of spare clothes, a set of shavers and a toothbrush. Nothing fancy. Sighing, he dumps everything he owns in an overnight bag. **_Time to hit the shower._**

In the next room, Sherry awakes at the sound of her alarm blaring. Her head immediately turns to the sofa next to her, only to find it void of Jake's body. **_He's left already huh? _**Her heart drops. She misses his strong hands and kind words already. His presence soothes her. Sighing, she leaves the warmth of her bed and gets up to clean herself. After a nice hot shower, Sherry packs whatever is left of her belongings and drags her suitcase to the lobby. **_This is going to be a very long day._**

**_..._**

Sherry and Jake are sitting next to each other in the private plane. It is a Government Issue military air craft. Field agents and other government officials are scurrying around with their jobs. The silence between the pair is unbearable. Not really awkward but both are unsure of what to talk about.

Jake clears his throat to break the silence. "So, how did you sleep last night? After the whole.. You know.. Nightmares stuff."

"Oh I slept like a log. I umm.. Want to thank you for that." She smiles.

So Sherry's in her old perky self.

"Hey, no problem. Couldn't just stand there and do nothing. After all, you looked pretty messed up. I thought I was looking at Russell Brand who has had trouble with a blow dryer."

Feeling her cheeks flaring up, she lets out a yelp that was probably a bit too loud as a couple of nearby people stare at her.

"I did not.. My hair? Oh my god. Was it really that bad?" she frantically tries to comb her hair with her fingers which was quite a futile attempt as her hair is perfectly fine now.

Chuckling, Jake flashes her a full toothed grin. "Nah, I was just kidding. I was rather surprised at you, you still managed to look beautiful even after a bad night" he winks.

Oh that's it. Sherry thinks she could just pass out if she continues hyperventilating like this. What did he just say? He called Sherry beautiful. No one has ever called her that before. Yeah sure, Claire has told her she's cute before. But that was different. Sherry felt her chest flutters as she blushed a crimson shade of red. **_Oh he's just messing with me, that twat._**

Oddly enough when she scans his face for a hint of sarcasm or tease, she found none. He still has on that cocky bad-boy grin but his eyes are sincere.

Seeing her flustering, he chuckles. Oh boy did he reach the right point to tease her. He never knew he could have this effect on her.

"Oh, shut up. I hate you Jake" she laughs

"I know you don't." He curtly replies.

Both of them have nearly forgotten their postponed separation. Oh how time pasts when you're with someone you love. But neither of them knew about it of course. The fact that they're in love.

*Author's note: WOW. Chapter 3 guys! Let me know if you enjoyed it or if you guys thought I could change it a bit to make it even better. Oh and all of the _**bold and slanting **_lines are monologues in case you don't know. Reviews are always welcomed and if this story is well accepted, there will be more to come! Love, PrettyOddMoon :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

After an 8 hours of flight, their plane arrives at Washington National Airport. Jake wakes the sleeping Sherry that laid her head on his shoulder. After a few lines of 'Huh!', 'What?!' and "Where am I?'s, she finally sobers up and they got out of the plane and make their way towards the luggage claim. After grabbing breakfast/lunch/dinner both of them receives a call to inform them of the rendezvous point. They drag their bag to the main lobby and they wait for whoever it is that is coming to pick them up separately.

The airport's lobby is bustling with people scurrying about. Some males in suits running and panting to catch their flight. Some women in traveling clothes, probably going for a vacation and relaxing.

But the only thing that matters to both Jake and Sherry right now is themselves. They are standing very close to each other, so much so that Sherry can feel the warmth that is emitting from her partner.

"So this is it, I guess." Sherry says as she tries to curb the tears that are threatening to stream down her face.  
"Yeah, this is it. But hey, we can still talk to each other through calls and emails, right?" Jake's voice feigning cheery emotion.  
But that's not what Jake wants at all. He wants something more than that. But what exactly does he want? Hell, he doesn't even know it himself.  
"Yes, that would be nice. Well, I have to go now. Don't want the limo to wait up." And with that sarcastic remark she turns to leave.

_**Do something you idiot! Grab her. Stop her from leaving. But what then?**_

Jake acts on his impulse. Wrenching her left hand, he spins her around and holds her in a strong embrace. He is shocked by his own sudden action.  
"I want to see you again. I don't care what it takes, I'm going to make sure this isn't the last time I lay my eyes on you. You freaking changed me Sherry. When I'm with you, I actually feel that I can be a better man. And I just want you to know that. I need you to know that. I'm going to miss you Agent Birkin."

Oh now her tears are free falling. Sherry buries her head in the crook of Jake's neck and grips the back of his shirt. A thousand words and emotions jumble through her head but she manages to let out a choke in an attempt to steady her sobs.  
"I'm going to miss you too Jake Muller."

Both of them reluctantly let go of each other after what it seems like they were in each other's arms for a few seconds. When in fact, it was a whole 5 minutes. They just held each other without saying a word after that.

Sherry walks away from him and jogged towards the black government vehicle that is waiting for her. But this time, she's smiling.  
She turns around from time to time in between jogs and waves at him. He waves back with one hand in his pocket. And he's smiling right back at her.  
Jake mentally slaps himself. That wasn't all what he wanted to say to her. However he is content with what they have right now. As much as he wants to tell her about his feelings right here and there, but he knew that he'll have the chance soon. For he had promised Sherry Birkin he's going to see her again.

With that final thought, he walks through the automatic front door of the airport to his is definitely going to see her again.

*PrettyOddMoon Note: Well pheww that was the fourth chapter. And I just want to thank everyone that has been reading and reviewing. Honestly, I thought I was going to stop after the first chapter! But the few reviews that this story received made me want to continue. So thank you again! This is initially the last chapter but if you guys consider it worth the read, I'm actually going to consider writing more on this story. So tell me your thoughts, and you'll read from my fics soon! :D


	5. Author's Note

Hello people! I'm sorry to say that this is not a new chapter update. I just want to tell you guys that I'm having problems with my computer so I won't be able to write anything (well, other than this note) I've received amazing reviews and support to keep writing on this story. So here it is, I'm telling you guys now, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING MORE CHAPTERS. Well that's either of them confess to one another? Or will they fall apart trying? Oooh suspense. So keep reading cause new chapters will be up soon (2 weeks tops) and keep giving me feed backs and comments. Spread the Shake and Jerry love! *confetti rains* =)

P/S: this Author's note chapter will self-destruct as soon as a new chapter is posted. Beep.


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